


Mystery at the Banff Springs Hotel

by MoonRiver2220



Series: Have Skates, Will Travel [2]
Category: Figure Skating RPF, Traveller
Genre: Banff National Park, Banff Springs Hotel, Canada, F/M, Ghosts, Lovers sneaking around, Series of tales based on their travels, TTYCT, TYCT, Thank You Canada Tour, Three Chapter One Shot, World Travel, ghost story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-15 10:34:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16061309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonRiver2220/pseuds/MoonRiver2220
Summary: The Thank You Canada Tour had started off with a wonderful reception in Abbotsford. The cast had finished show number three in Grande Prairie last night, and the tour bus drove them during the night to their next destination.To make up for the long bus ride across the country, and cramped sleeping quarters, Tessa and Scott had planned a few surprises for their friends along the way. The first surprise was a two-night stop at the luxurious Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in the Rocky Mountains, during their break between Grande Prairie and Prince George."It looks like a castle!" Kaetlyn sighed, her face pressed against the window in the lounge, as the coach pulled up in front of the hotel.





	1. Sam and the Ghost Bride

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. It's me again. Whoops, I'm starting another new fic ;)  
> This fic is actually nearly done, I've been working on it as a side project for the last two months and decided it was time to sit down and just finish it. I'll roll out the other two chapters shortly...I won't drag this fic out too long. I'm just too excited to shove this one online :)
> 
> Full disclaimer:  
> 1\. This is in no way an advertisement for the hotel. I'm just a HUGE fan. I've stayed here multiple times and would move in tonight if I could.  
> 2\. Realistically, this detour wouldn't happen. Banff is too much out of the way imo for them to stop here. They might do Jasper, but I needed some way to get them to Banff, okay? ;)  
> 3\. Ghost stories are real...this hotel has ghosts...I've encountered them!  
> 4\. Tour guide Dave Moberg...real guy! He is retired now, but he did one of the tours I took a few years back.  
> 5\. VM and party would likely stay on floor 5, which is the Fairmont Gold VIP floor. But...I needed them on one of the haunted floors, okay? ;)  
> 6\. If you have not been...I highly recommend it.  
> 7\. Pictures included to give you a feel of "my castle" :)

**Mystery at the Banff Springs Hotel**

 

**Chapter 1**

 

The Thank You Canada Tour had started off with a wonderful reception in Abbotsford. The cast had finished show number three in Grande Prairie last night, and the tour bus drove them during the night to their next destination.

 

To make up for the long bus ride across the country, and cramped sleeping quarters, Tessa and Scott had planned a few surprises for their friends along the way. The first surprise was a two-night stop at the luxurious Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in the Rocky Mountains, during their break between Grande Prairie and Prince George.

 

"It looks like a castle!" Kaetlyn sighed, her face pressed against the window in the lounge, as the coach pulled up in front of the hotel.

 

 

It was indeed called the “Castle in the Rockies”. Located in the heart of Banff National Park, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, originally built as a railway hotel in the Scottish Baronial style. The hotel first opened to the public on June 1, 1888, and it is rumored to be haunted by multiple ghosts. Allegedly…but probably not. _But then again…_

 

*

 

The front desk manager looked up from her computer screen. "I apologize, the hotel is fully booked and I am unable to fulfill your request for connecting rooms. The best I can do is the same floor."

 

Tessa pouted as Scott reassured the front desk manager that it really wasn't a big deal; the same floor was fine. Tessa had been looking forward to having connecting rooms, it was something they had requested since they were kids.

 

When they were younger, it gave their parents a chance to stay up late in one bedroom to visit with each other over a glass of wine, after the kids had gone to sleep. As adults, it gave them privacy to move between the two rooms without drawing attention on themselves or feel like they were sneaking around (more so than they already were). Having been cooped up on the tour bus for the last five days, Tessa already wanted some personal space, elbow room, and freedom to do whatever her heart felt like doing with Scott, without prying eyes following their every move. Sometimes she wanted to pinch his magnificent ass or surprise him with a kiss on the lips or snuggle up against him. However, with The Thank You Canada Tour and living on a tour bus with their friends, she had to fully restrain herself.

 

At least for other skating shows they had time away from the group and hotel rooms they could retreat to. This last week they hadn’t really had any private time and Tessa was tense from it. She knew going in, that for the sake of expenses, the tour bus was the more reasonable choice. She knew it would be hard sleeping so close to Scott, with each of them taking their own single bunk, yet so far away and not in his arms. She had mentally prepared herself as best she could yet she was still getting cranky and they had several more weeks of touring to go.

 

Constantly focusing on keeping an appropriate distance from her _supposed platonic business partner_ and making sure Scott didn't go overboard with his affections was exhausting. Tessa was tired and she knew Scott was too. She wasn't sure how much longer they would be able to keep up this charade before their friends accidentally found them out.

 

As they exited the elevator on the sixth floor, Scott looked at the sign on the wall, indicating where their rooms were located.

 

"Sorry T, you take a right and I'm taking a left. Looks like we're on opposite ends this time."

 

Tessa sighed. "Looks that way. It's like the universe is trying to keep us apart or something." She sighed again. "So, are you coming with me on the hotel tour? It starts in 20 minutes in the Heritage Hall above the lobby."

 

"Of course. You know that I want to do anything and everything with you...do you want to meet down there? I could use a quick shower first."

 

"I was thinking I'd take one too. Okay, 18 minutes to get ready, wanna make it a competition? Loser buys dinner?" Tessa asked with a grin.

 

"You're on, Virtch." Scott looked around the hallway, it was empty, so he pulled Tessa towards him for a quick kiss.

 

"17 minutes, she said against his lips."

 

"I only need 15," he grinned as he pulled away and started walking down the hallway.

 

Tessa turned to walk towards her room and nearly ran into the man standing behind her.

 

"Oh! Excuse me! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Tessa apologized.

 

"Pardon me," the man said as he tipped his hat at Tessa. "My name is Sam, may I assist you with your luggage?"

 

Tessa looked the man up and down. The older gentleman was wearing a plaid jacket and it was apparent that he worked at the hotel by the nametag on his lapel.

 

 _A bellman! How convenient,_ she thought, as a large smile broke across her face.

 

"Of course, thank you! I believe my room is at the far end of the hallway," Tessa said as she pointed down the long hallway."

 

"Not a problem ma'am. I walk these hallways all day long. Happy to help."

 

Tessa led the way to her room; she made small talk as they walked. "My brothers have always called me Saam, but my name is actually Tessa. They thought Tessa was a good name for a cat, but not their baby sister...or so I've been told. How long have you worked here at the hotel, Sam?"

 

"A long time now. Decades, in fact."

 

"Oh wow! That's commitment; I admire that. Well, this is me, 692," Tessa said as she stopped in front of her hotel room door. "Thank you for carrying my luggage, Sam." Tessa looked down into her purse to pull out her wallet so she could give Sam a tip for helping her with her bags, but when she turned around to hand him the money, he was gone.

 

"Sam?" Tessa looked up and down the long hallway, but there was no one in sight. "That's weird. Where did he go?"

 

Tessa shrugged it off, she had to hurry to get ready and meet up with the group downstairs. She wasn't one to lose a challenge with Scott, especially when she had come up with the idea.

 

*

 

“Good afternoon everyone, my name is Dave Moberg and I am your tour guide for this afternoon. I am the Guest Relations Manager and resident historian of the Banff Springs Hotel. I am currently the longest-serving employee; I’ve worked here for more than 50 years. So you could say I know a thing or two about this magnificent property.”

 

Dave took the group of skaters around the castle, pointing out various points of interest, including the 450 million year old fossils in the Tyndall stone steps of the spiral staircase leading up to the Alhambra foyer, the original 1928 Tiffany’s lampshades, the hotel room doors shaped like coffins, and he provided details about the hotel’s railroad history. Tessa was most intrigued by the ghost stories Dave had relayed to them. There had been a bride who fell down a flight of stairs to her death on her way to her wedding. Her ghost has apparently been spotted in the Cascade Ballroom, dancing alone, and wandering up and down the staircase. Tessa shuddered. _Wedding…dancing…falling down the stairs_ (she’s been known to do that on more than one occasion)...those things were all hitting a little too close to home. Tessa nervously twisted her silver rings around on her middle finger.

 

"If you look over here, we have a plaque on the wall with the full story of the ghost bride, she was even featured on a stamp, and a coin by the Royal Canadian Mint,” Dave said as he pointed to the plaque.

 

Tessa made her way over to the plaque to read the inscription:

 

_The story of the ghost bride dates back to the late 1920’s on the wedding day of a young couple. The groom stood in this very room, which was once the library, waiting for his bride to arrive. They were to make their way together to the glamorous Cascade Ballroom for the evening’s celebrations. As the bride stepped onto the staircase before you, the numerous lit candles that lined the steps cast a soft amber glow on the bride, who was resplendent in her white lace gown and veil._

_Perhaps the bride caught her heel in the hem of her dress, or some movement caused her dress to brush up against a candle’s flame. Whatever the cause, the young bride was startled and suddenly slipped and stumbled down the stairs ultimately meeting her demise. It was a truly tragic end to a love story, and a life that was cut too short._

_But the bride’s story doesn’t end with her death. For years, guests and hotel staff have claimed to see an apparition in a white wedding dress moving quietly up and down the stairs. Some have even claimed to have heard soft music playing while the otherworldly bride dances alone in the ballroom above. It is believed that she still seeks to relive that fateful day, when death denied her and her husband their first dance as husband and wife._

 

 

 

As Dave continued his tour, he discussed with the group the ghost story of Sam the bellman. Tessa gasped out loud as she recalled her interactions with a bellman named Sam, not even 40 minutes ago.

 

"You okay, T?" Scott whispered in Tessa's ear. "You look a little pale."

 

"Yeah, good, I'm fine. Just fine." Tessa's eyes widened as Dave went on to speak about Sam's ghost still roaming the hotel and helping guests with their luggage.

 

“This 130-year-old hotel has more than a few residents who've checked in but never checked out,” Dave chuckled.

 

Tessa felt a firm hand on her lower back and she jumped.

 

"Relax, T. It's just me. You're not afraid of a little ghost story, are you?" Scott whispered in her ear and then he took a little bite of her earlobe.

 

Tessa hoped no one saw his affectionate nibble. "No," she whispered back with a determined insistence as the group moved onto another part of the hotel.

 

“The sixth and eighth floors are reported to be the most-haunted of the hotel,” Dave smiled as he led the group down the Spanish Walk.

 

 

“Great,” Tessa mumbled. “We’re staying on the sixth floor.”

 

*

 

Later that afternoon, Tessa, Kaitlyn, Meagan and Kaetlyn entered through the doors of the Willow Stream Spa at the hotel.

 

 

“Oh my gosh, it smells amazing!” Kaetlyn’s eyes went wide as she took in her surroundings.

 

They were met at the front desk by the spa’s manager, Pam, and she offered up a bit of information on the spa as she checked them in. “We are ranked as one of Canada’s top spas, you girls definitely deserve some pampering and time to rejuvenate yourselves after your shows. Back when the hotel was originally built, guests travelled by rail to stay at the hotel and take in the healing properties of the mineral waters, as Banff was founded on naturally-occurring mineral springs. We can renew and restore tired muscles through massage, body treatments, and facials. In the mineral pool, your depleted nutrients and minerals can be replenished. We carry on the tradition of healing naturally, not forgetting our roots. Please, follow me this way for your massages.”

 

*

 

“I’m so relaxed, that massage was absolutely amazing!” Kaitlyn sighed as she waded into the mosaic-tiled mineral pool that was filled with imported healing salts, intended to boost circulation, soothe sore muscles and promote relaxation.

 

 

“Tess, this was a fabulous idea!” Meagan added as she floated on her back in the mineral water.

 

Tessa decided as she was entering the pool that she wanted her long hair up, so it wouldn’t get wet. She spun around and walked back up the steps and out of the pool towards her chair, where she had left her personal items, to get a hair elastic.

 

"Has anyone seen my book? I left it here with my bathrobe and towel?" she asked the girls. No one else was in the spa area, except them.

 

The girls all shook their heads.

 

Tessa looked on and under every chair. No book.

 

“Are you sure you brought one with you T?” Meagan asked, which earned her a classic Tessa Virtue glare.

 

“She did, I saw her with it when we were walking here from the treatment rooms after our massages,” Kaitlyn said, defending Tessa.

 

Tessa frowned but got back into the pool with the girls. There was no way she was going to let a missing book ruin her relaxation time.

 

While the girls were enjoying their time in the spa, the guys had met up at the Grapes Wine Bar. Scott made a mental note to sneak away at some point and bring Tessa here. He knew she would love the intimacy of the space, and appreciate how it was originally used as a writing room, a place for guests to gather their thoughts and hand-write letters to send back home, before technology changed that.

 

 

“This was a great idea, Scott,” Chiddy smiled as he held his wine glass up in the air. The others followed, clinking their glasses together in agreement.

 

“Definitely a nice break from performing and sleeping on the coach beds,” Eric added. He had to sleep with his knees bent in order to fit properly.

 

Scott leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I am glad that the tour is going well so far. It’s been far more stressful than we expected, being the ones in charge and overseeing everything. Obviously we still have a long way to go, but knock on wood, so far no big snags,” he rapped his knuckles on the table, just for good measure.

 

“That confetti is a fun touch but I swear I find it everywhere. It's as bad as Kaitlyn's glitter,” Andrew laughed, and the rest of the guys nodded in agreement.

 

“So, how are things with you and Tessa? Are you going to be popping the question any time soon?” Elvis asked. He knew how they were, always so cuddly and touchy-feely, but it had been that way for years. Of course, recently more so, but he wasn’t dumb. It was obvious to everyone and their grandmother what those two were up to.

 

Scott started choking on his wine. Chiddy slapped him on the back several times.

 

"It's not like that between us," Scott managed to squeak out while still coughing.

 

"Sure, you just keep telling yourselves that. One day you and Tess will have 2.5 kids and a dog and be living in a cute house with a white picket fence, and you'll still be trying to sell everyone that line,” Elvis rolled his eyes at his friend’s bullshit answer.

 

Scott felt his neck begin to turn red. _If they only knew…but not yet..._

 

 


	2. Room 692

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa turned around and pulled Scott into her room and shut the door. She pressed her body up against his, forcing him against the wall.
> 
> “Just a kiss?” she asked with a devilish grin now plastered on her face.
> 
> “Well, I do sleep better if it’s more than just a kiss,” he mumbled against her warm neck, her hair still wet from the pool.

**Chapter 2: Room 692**

 

Tessa returned to her room, fully relaxed from her spa treatments. She was still perplexed as to where her book could have disappeared to. She didn't think any of the other girls would have taken it. Plus, they were all in the water when she had laid it down on the chair.

 

"Oh well," Tessa sighed out loud. "It's a good thing I always travel with several books."

 

She looked at the clock on her phone; she had a bit of time before dinner, but not quite enough for a nap.

 

**Tessa:** Hey, I'm back from the spa, where you at?

 

**Scott:** Hanging out with the buffalo. Come find me?

 

**Tessa:** That could be anywhere!

 

**Scott:** Were you not paying attention on the tour?

 

Tessa thought for a few moments. _Where had there been buffalo on their tour? They hadn’t been outside? Ah-ha! Not a whole buffalo, just the heads mounted on the wall._

 

**Tessa:** Oh! The Stanley Thompson Foyer!

 

**Tessa:** Are you alone?

 

**Scott:** Yes, the others went for a walk outside but I hung back waiting to see if I could find a pretty lady to keep me company

 

**Tessa:** Oh you  Stay put. I'll meet you there

 

Despite her bad sense of direction, Tessa made her way through the hotel relatively easy, thanks to the Find My Friends app both she and Scott had on their phones. She just kept walking in the direction of the little orange dot that was Scott. Somehow, she did end up outside twice before she found the right area. When she arrived in the foyer she saw the buffalo heads hanging up on the wall above the fireplaces, but Scott was nowhere in sight.

 

 

She frowned and bit down on her bottom lip, running her teeth back and forth over it. She knew he was here somewhere, but the room lacked any real place for a grown man to hide. _Unless he left his phone here?_

 

"Scott?" she called out, a hint of worry made the word waver as it left her mouth. She was on edge enough as it was.

 

Scott leaned over the upper balcony of the empty Ramsay Lounge and looked down at Tessa.

 

He whistled their special call and she looked up, towards the sound. A huge grin danced across her face, the one that belonged just to him. She was relieved he was still here waiting for her, because if she was being honest, her mind did flash through a series of possibilities, _including kidnapping_.

 

She looked around and saw an elevator and a staircase. She took the stairs two at a time and lunged herself into her waiting partner’s arms.

 

“How was the spa? You smell nice,” Scott mumbled into her hair before pressing a kiss to her lips.

 

“Relaxing, but weird,” she answered truthfully.

 

“What do you mean… _weird?_ Like the treatment?” He held her at arms length, his eyes searching hers for answers. _Did they do something to her that she didn’t like? Did he need to go speak to someone about the service?_

 

“No, the massage was amazing. Afterwards though, we were soaking in their mineral pool and my book went missing,” Tessa added a little pout for effect. Truthfully she didn’t really care, it was just a book, but the circumstances were odd and unnerving.

 

“Did someone else pick it up, thinking it was theirs?” he asked calmly.

 

“That’s the thing. The girls were already in the pool when I set it down, and no one else was with us.”

 

“Oooo, T, maybe a _ghost_ took it,” Scott pressed his finger to the end of Tessa’s freckled nose as he laughed at his own joke.

 

“Not funny,” she frowned as she swatted playfully at his shoulder. “Besides, ghosts don’t read romance novels.”

 

Scott gasped dramatically and put his hand over his heart. “Is that what you’re into these days? _Tessa!_ _I am shocked!”_

 

“Ugh, yes, but only because it fills the void.”

 

“What void?” Scott whispered as he pulled her towards him and started kissing her neck.

 

“ _That_ void,” she moaned softly. “ _Please_ …Scott…I need you, but not here. Let’s go back to my room…it’s closest. We have enough time before dinner...”

 

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Scott grinned as he stole one more kiss from her lips before threading his fingers together with hers. Scott led the way because he was in a hurry and knew she’d get them turned around at least once.

 

*

 

After a wonderful group dinner at Samurai for sushi, it ranked right up there with some of the best they had eaten in Japan, Tessa and Scott snuck off together for a late swim in the hotel’s pools.

 

“Inside or outside, T?” Scott asked as they took off their hotel bathrobes and laid them down on one of the poolside deck chairs.

 

 

“Out first, I hear it’s heated and can be used year round,” Tessa nodded her head towards the outside pool deck as she adjusted her blue bikini.

 

Scott led the way through the doors that led right down into the pool.

 

“Ahhh, it _is_ warm,” Scott groaned. The mountain air was cool against his exposed skin, but it was fresh from the abundance of pine trees. He pushed off and swam a lap before turning around and making his way back towards Tessa; she was still standing in the shallow end of the pool. He dove under the water and grabbed her ankles, tickling them before dragging her with him under the water.

 

He let go, and she bobbed back up quickly, shrieking his name. He grinned and wrapped his arms around her, his front pressing firmly against her back.

 

“Shhh,” he soothed in her ear. “Your shrieks just echoed in the valley, save those for the bedroom where no one else can hear you.”

 

“ _Scott_ ,” she chastised as she glanced around the pool; thankfully they were alone.

 

“That trick never gets old, T. You’d think by now you’d realize what the ankle tickle means.”

 

“Maybe I do know what it means but I let you think I don’t know,” she whispered as she leaned back against Scott. She reached her hand behind herself and found the waistband of Scott’s swim trunks. She stuck one finger in and pulled on one end of the drawstring, loosening his trunks.

 

“Hey! Watch it!” he chuckled as he grabbed her wrist and moved it back in front of her. “I know we need to make the most of our time off the bus, but not here in public,” he whispered as he kissed the back of her neck, causing a shiver to go down her spine.

 

“Mmm-hmm,” she moaned. Scott had the wonderful ability to grind her brain to a halt, causing all of her vocabulary to disappear. She was at a loss for actual words more often than not when she was in close proximity to him. Especially when his mouth was on her body.

 

*

 

“692, this is you, T,” Scott rubbed his hand up and down Tessa’s back gently as he waited for her to pull her room key out of her robe pocket.

 

She tapped the card against the lock and it clicked. She pushed the door open and started to walk inside.

 

“ _Ahem?”_ Scott raised his eyebrows in disapproval.

 

“Sorry,” Tessa smiled sweetly over her shoulder. “Did you need something?”

 

“A kiss goodnight? Otherwise I can’t sleep,” he pouted.

 

Tessa turned around and pulled Scott into her room and shut the door. She pressed her body up against his, forcing him against the wall.

 

“Just a kiss?” she asked with a devilish grin now plastered on her face.

 

“Well, I do sleep better if it’s more than _just_ a kiss,” he mumbled against her warm neck, her hair still wet from the pool.

 

“But no sleepover tonight,” Tessa groaned as his kisses moved down her body. She untied her robe and let it drop to the floor, allowing him full access to her bikini-clad body.

 

“Whatever you say, Virtch…”

 

*

 

**Later that night...**

 

**Tessa:** Are you awake?

 

**Scott:** I am now

 

**Scott:** What's up T?

 

**Scott:** Can't sleep?

 

**Tessa:** I'm freaking out...can I come over?

 

**Scott:** Of course

 

Scott jumped out of bed and unlocked his hotel room door. He leaned against the door as a loud, giant yawn forced it's way out of his mouth. He was having the most delicious dream about eating a juicy steak fresh off of his Dad's grill when her text woke him up. He didn't mind too much, she seemed upset, and he always told her she could call or text him anytime, day or night. It was his job to look out for her, after all, and it always would be until his dying day.

 

Tessa ran down the hallway as fast as she could. She clutched her grey fuzzy blanket tightly around her shoulders. Her motions made it flap behind her like a superhero's cape, even though she felt nothing like a superhero in this moment.

 

"Why couldn't our rooms have been side by side like usual," she muttered as she ran.

 

She read the room numbers to herself as she ran. _617, 615, 611, no 613? That's superstitious_ , she shuddered as she slowed her run to a brisk walk. Finally, 609. He was leaning against the open door, eyes closed, wearing only his black Calvin Klein boxer briefs.

 

Tessa felt a pang of guilt. She really had woken him up.

 

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she dropped a little kiss on his cheek and then walked into his room. She immediately flicked on all the lights and looked around.

 

"Tessa! My eyes!!" Scott shouted as he brought his hands up to shield his face from the blinding lights. "What the hell?"

 

"Sorry. But I have to be sure."

 

"Be sure of what? It's the middle of the night. The only thing you need to be sure of is that I'm going to be turning all the lights off and then I'm going back to sleep. Join me if you want, but it has to be dark."

 

"No! We can't sleep!" she insisted.

 

"Huh?" That got his attention and woke up the lower half of his body. "Um, well what were you thinking?" he asked as he rubbed his hands over his face, trying to scrub the sleep away. _I shouldn't assume she means sex, but why else is she in my room in the middle of the night, wanting to do something that isn't sleeping? I must be dreaming._

 

Scott watched Tessa tear his room apart looking under and behind everything. He scratched his fingers through his hair, bewildered as to what was happening.

 

"Did you lose something, T?"

 

"No."

 

"Um, are you maybe sleepwalking?"

 

"Definitely not," she shook her head as she moved the curtains away from the window to check behind them.

 

"Can I get back into my bed while you finish trashing my room?"

 

"No!" she insisted.

 

Scott groaned loudly in protest.

 

"Okay, there seems to be nothing here." I'm going to turn off some of the lights. Wait here."

 

Scott furrowed his brow. _What the hell is she up to?_

 

"Do you feel that?" she asked, a sense of fear in her voice.

 

"Um...no? What am I feeling?"

 

"Energy."

 

"Energy?" he asked to clarify.

 

"Yes. Energy. Like spirits…ghosts…something is giving off an _energy_. My skin prickles when the lights are turned low."

 

"Geez, Tess. You're overtired and having some kind of waking nightmare. Come lay down in bed with me. I'm tired and want to go back to sleep. We can talk about this in the morning, okay?"

 

"No!" she shouted.

 

"Shhh...keep your voice down. Fine, if you want to talk about this now, we can talk. But I'm going to lay down."

 

"No! You can't!

 

_Shit she's really gone off her rocker. Is she taking some kind of medication? Did Meagan give her some weird-ass tea drink before bed again? That must be it. I’m gonna strangle that little pixie in the morning._

 

"Scott!" Tessa hissed. "Come here…slowly."

 

He did as he was told. He really just wanted to go back to bed. He was willing to do just about anything she told him to at this point. He stood next to Tessa and waited for further instruction.

 

"Okay, now what?" he whispered.

 

"Wait."

 

Scott yawned and leaned his head on Tessa's shoulder. "I'm really tired, babe. Come to bed, I'll protect you. There are no ghosts in my room. That tour guide and his ghost stories just fucked with your head. There's no such thing as ghosts, T."

 

"Hmmm," Tessa hummed in disappointment. "The prickles I felt earlier in my room are not happening here."

 

"That's 'cause my room doesn't have ghosts. Now come snuggle me," Scott tugged on Tessa's arm and she finally gave in and followed him to his bed. She got in under the duvet and tucked herself tightly against Scott’s body, his arm wrapped around her.

 

"You know, if you wanted to share a bed with me, you could have just said so right away. We could have saved ourselves some money," he sighed as he clicked off the bedside lamp.

 

"I'm not responding to that. We agreed to keep things professional-looking on the tour."

 

"And yet here you are, cuddling your secret fiancé,” Scott grinned and Tessa could hear his radiant smile, even though the room was dark.

 

Tessa sighed happily. "I love hearing that out loud. I truly do. I can't wait for the tour to be over so I can show off my beautiful engagement ring and shout from the rooftops how much I love you." She kissed Scott's jawbone. "I'm sorry, you're right, I must have just gotten worked up over those ghost stories from earlier. But you'll go check out my room in the morning, right?"

 

"Of course, T, anything for you. I love you, my gorgeous fiancée.” Scott kissed the top of Tessa's hair and closed his eyes as he breathed her in and went right back to dreaming about his steak dinner.

 

"I love you too," Tessa whispered. She laid in Scott's bed, eyes open, willing herself to sleep but it just wouldn't happen. She was too wound up. She thought back to what had occurred in her room…

 

Tessa had just finished getting ready for bed, and went to turn off the lights in her hotel room, except for the bedside lamp. She immediately felt as though someone else was in her room, watching her. She brushed it off, thinking her imagination was running away with her.

 

 

As she walked towards her bed, she felt as though she had walked through a wall of cold air. She shivered, and looked towards the far side of her room at the fireplace. It was just decorative, but the ornate mirror hanging above caught her eye. An orb of light was moving across the mirror. Tessa froze, watching the light dance around, and then it was gone.

 

_Well, fuck._

 

Tessa slowly made her way to her bed and cautiously climbed under the duvet, pulling it up tightly around her chin. She bit down on her bottom lip and looked around her room. _No one else is here. Just relax. You’re tired. Go to sleep_ , she told herself.

 

She reached over and turned off the lamp. Her eyes scanned the dark room one more time before she squeezed them shut. Tessa took several long, slow calming breaths and was beginning to relax when her pillow was yanked out from under her head. She screamed and jumped out of bed, turning on all the lights in the room. There was no one else there. That’s when she texted Scott…

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest room 692 is reported to be haunted and hotel staff have stopped booking women travelling alone in that room as a result...supposedly... ;)


	3. Ghostly Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ghosts and spirits living at the hotel have a little fun at Tessa's expense...

  **Chapter 3: Ghostly Encounters**

 

The next morning, Tessa met up with Scott, Chiddy and Elvis for breakfast in The Vermillion Room. She was last to arrive to the table, Scott raised an eyebrow at her when she sat down, while Chiddy and Elvis greeted her cheerfully, but thankfully no one asked Tessa how her night was. They all knew to not even bother engaging in complex discussions with her so early in the morning, especially before she had her coffee.

 

The four of them had a 9am tee time, so breakfast was earlier than Tessa would prefer for her day off. After spending the night in Scott’s arms, they went together to Tessa’s room that morning to check out her ghost situation. Once Tessa was satisfied that the energy was gone and the room looked okay in the daylight, Scott left her alone to shower and get dressed.

 

“You probably want the Pain Perdu or if you’re not very hungry, then the Muesli,” Scott whispered as he leaned in close to Tessa.

 

Tessa didn’t even bother opening her menu; she just nodded. Scott knew her well enough that she trusted him to order for her. He had seen her eyes light up at the first option and her head shake just a fraction of a millimeter at the second option.

 

“And I already ordered you a cappuccino, it should be here right away.” Scott patted her thigh and then shifted his body back to his own space beside her at the dining room table.

 

Tessa smiled shyly, she was so grateful to have him in her life; he had grown into such a sweet and caring man. In that moment, she wanted to kiss him senseless, but there were too many watchful eyes and their tablemates didn’t even officially know about them yet. So, she shoved down the desire and whispered a thank you to her soon-to-be husband.

 

*

 

"We're lucky the snow held off. They normally close the course mid-October or whenever the first snowfall is," Scott said as he pulled the golf cart up to the first hole of the Stanley Thompson course.

 

Tessa had already announced they would play Virtue-Moir against Chan-Stojko. Chiddy rolled his eyes at that, like he expected anything different from Tessa and Scott.

 

"Here, I'll read out loud what it says on this sign,” Elvis offered to the group.

 

 _Opened in 1911 as a nine-hole course laid out by Bill Thomson, a Scottish expatriate who apprenticed under Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews, the Banff Springs Golf Course was expanded to an 18-hole course by Donald Ross in 1924. But it was Stanley Thompson, Canada’s most significant and successful golf architect, who created the layout as it plays today. The course demonstrates his appreciation of traditional links golf courses while emphasizing the subtleties of the mountain landscape. Money was no barrier for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), and when unveiled in 1928, the Banff Springs Golf Course was the most expensive ever built. Thompson’s layout incorporated some of Ross’s holes but also included some stunning new ones—none more iconic than Devil’s Cauldron, a short par 3 over a glacial lake nestled below the impossibly steep face of Mount Rundle. Devil’s Cauldron is one of the most famously scenic holes in the world of golf._ [ _https://banffspringsgolfclub.com_ ](https://banffspringsgolfclub.com/)

 

“Ladies first,” Chiddy waved his hand towards Tessa; he was always a gentleman.

 

“Tess, are you sure you want the 5-wood? It says here on the score card that it’s 359 yards and a par 4,” Scott said softly as she was pulling the club from her bag.

 

“Hmmm it looks closer than that though?” she said as she glanced out over the course again.

 

"It's the mountains, T. They skew the perspective, and the way the bunkers are placed; it makes the green look closer. I’ve played this course virtually before. Trust me."

 

Tessa glared at Scott. "You know I _trust_ you." She reluctantly accepted the 3-wood he held in his outstretched hand.

 

"The ball travels a bit further at this altitude too, keep that in mind with your powerful arms,” Scott winked.

 

Tessa rolled her eyes and smirked. "Okay, _Justin Rose_. You quite finished? I'd like to make my shot here." She loved Scott’s golf tips, and he knew it. She would do anything to help them win against Chiddy and Elvis. Sure, they never coached each other on the ice, but with golf it was a much different story. Scott grinned as he held himself back from touching or kissing Tessa in that moment. He loved when Tessa would ask for help with her swing, having his arms wrapped around hers and of course he would never miss the opportunity to press his hips tightly against her body, just to tease her. Today she was so damn cute in her white Adidas golf outfit and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it until later. It was such torture and watching her from a distance was about all he could do with Chiddy and Elvis keeping a little too close of an eye on the pair of them this morning.

 

"Tee off, T," he winked.

 

Tessa swung her club, making contact with the ball and sending it down the fairway.

 

"Nice one, Tess," Elvis encouraged.

 

"Thanks," she smiled as she stepped aside to let the others play their tee shot. She was improving, all the golf this summer with Scott had paid off.

 

After the guys had gone, they walked ahead and Tessa looked around at the breathtaking scenery. This was probably the most beautiful course she had been on with Scott so far.

 

 

Upon arriving to play their next shot, Tessa couldn’t locate her ball. They had all seen it land and knew the general area it should be in, but it was nowhere to be found. They searched all over and eventually gave up, giving Tessa a new ball. The same thing happened on the second hole, and on the third hole they found her ball sitting next to the flag. They all knew there was absolutely no way she could have hit the ball in that direction and have it land where it did.

 

Tessa was agitated and Scott was getting upset that she was having these mysterious things happen to her at every hole. The guys had no trouble with their first few shots, it was just Tessa who was unlucky it seemed.

 

The fourth hole was called the Devil’s Cauldron because the tee shot goes over a glacial lake and into a bowl-shaped green with multiple bunkers. The drive over in their cart from the third green was breathtaking. They even saw a grizzly bear off in the distance, but all of that was not enough for them to forget the strange things that were occurring.

 

Tessa was rattled and shaky as she got out of the cart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down before beginning. _I can do this,_ she told herself.

 

“Tess,” Scott called her back before she teed off. She turned around and walked towards him. She was caught off guard when he wrapped his strong arms around her for a classic Moir hug.

 

“Hey,” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t know what the hell is going on here, if this is someone’s idea of a stupid joke or what, but we’re a team win or lose, okay? I’m here by your side, always and forever, no matter what. I love you, Tess.”

 

“Aww, look, they’re doing their hug thing,” Elvis whispered to Chiddy who was staring wide-eyed at the couple hugging next to the tee box. “Does it work for golf too?” Elvis asked.

 

“I don’t know, man. I just don’t know,” Chiddy replied as he shook his head. He was long past trying to figure out what was going on with his good friends.

 

Tessa had relaxed completely in Scott’s arms by the time he was finished whispering in her ear. “Thanks, babe. I love you too,” she whispered back. “This course is fucked up but I’m not going to let it ruin our fun out here.”

 

“That’s my girl. Show ‘em how it’s done, eh?” Scott dropped a quick kiss to Tessa’s cheek before letting her go.

 

Tessa channeled her frustration and hit the ball long, ending up with an impressive hole-in-one.

 

“I think that hug worked, maybe we should try it?” Elvis laughed as he slapped Chiddy on the back. Chiddy just shook his head in disbelief.

 

Tessa managed to get par or better on every hole after that. She had never played that well in her life, and she knew it had nothing to do with adding their hug. Something or someone was playing around with her ball on the course. She had a feeling it was the same someone or something that was in her room last night…

 

*

 

"What do you think of a little afternoon nap… _avec moi?"_ Scott whispered in Tessa's ear as he drove the golf cart back to the hotel.

 

Tessa turned around to look at Chiddy and Elvis sitting in the back seat of the cart. She smiled sweetly at them, hoping they didn't over hear.

 

"I'm famished, I'd love to get lunch, Scott. Boys, do you want to join us?"

 

Scott wrinkled his nose at Tessa. _I'm not hungry for food_ , he thought. _But okay, I'll play along with your games, T._

 

“There is a cute little pub up there, Tessa pointed up a set of stairs as they zoomed past in the golf cart. “It’s called The Waldhaus. It’s a renovated 1927 Bavarian-style cottage and used to be the clubhouse for the golf course. I hear the food is fantastic…and they have beer.”

 

“Sounds great, I could use a cold one. So far everything about this hotel has been amazing. Excellent idea you two had, bringing us all here,” Elvis said with a grin.

 

“Yeah, I'm planning to come back with Liz. She'll love it,” Chiddy agreed.

 

 _I have zero plans to return here_ , thought Tessa as she turned back around in her seat.

 

After returning the golf cart, they made their way into the Waldhaus Pub.

 

 

 

“Well, I think we all worked up a thirst this morning and need the big, boot-shaped glass of beer,” Scott told the server with a grin. “4 of Das Boot please, I’ll let them choose what they want in it.”

 

Tessa shrugged her shoulders. _I was going to order a glass of wine, but I guess 2 litres of German beer it is! I might need all of that to take the edge off of the craziness from this morning._

 

“Hey, T, they have chocolate fondue!” Scott wiggled his eyebrows at her, thinking back to that one time they made chocolate fondue at home and they both ended up wearing most of it…followed by a lot of licking…and…

 

“Scott!” she hissed, pulling him out of his thoughts. She knew exactly what he was thinking about and it made her blush. “That isn’t really _lunch_ ,” she replied with a disapproving look. Besides, they might be done with competitive skating but they still had several weeks left of performing. She knew he was trying to make her feel better after the weird happenings on the golf course, but a giant bowl of melted chocolate probably wasn’t the _healthiest_ choice.

 

“So, you’re saying I should get the wings and nachos to compliment my giant beer?”

 

“These two banter like an old married couple,” Elvis chuckled to Chiddy.

 

“I’m thinking we should order the chocolate fondue for the table. Did you see Tessa squirm? There’s a backstory there,” Chiddy whispered into Elvis’ ear.

 

“What are you two love-birds whispering about?” Scott kicked Chiddy under the table. He knew they were up to no good.

 

“Just discussing lunch options,” Chiddy’s eyes went wide as he caught Tessa’s death glare looking right into his soul. _Best not get the fondue_ , he reconsidered.

 

*

 

After lunch, Chiddy and Elvis had left the table first, claiming they wanted to head into town to look for souvenirs for their ladies back home. That left Tessa and Scott to debate a bit more over ordering the fondue, Scott claimed the chocolate would help make her feel better, but she retorted that his stomach was already overflowing from the three plus litres of beer (he helped Tessa finish hers) and his greasy food choices and there was no way she was eating a chocolate fondue for two by herself, even though it did sound fantastic. In the end, Tessa won.

 

“Now I could really use a nap,” Scott patted his belly as they walked the short distance back to the hotel.

 

“A nap that involves sleeping, or a different kind of nap?” Tessa grinned as she bumped her shoulder against Scott’s. “I told you not to get the nachos _and_ the wings. You should have gone with the chicken salad sandwich.”

 

“We’re on a cheat day, T _and_ I want both kinds of nap!” Scott exclaimed as he wiggled his eyebrows and patted Tessa on her ass.

 

“ _Hands_ , Moir,” she warned as they walked back into the hotel.

 

*

 

Tessa and Scott had a relaxing afternoon in bed. They decided to make the most of their time in a private king-sized bed before getting back on the tour bus the next morning with it’s less than ideal sleeping quarters. Thankfully, Scott’s room was still ghost-free.

 

They met up with the rest of the group for dinner in the Castello Ristorante at the hotel. Scott was excited for Italian food; he loved pasta dishes almost as much as steak and potatoes.

 

"So, I saw they have bowling lanes over in the conference centre attached to the hotel. I think after dinner we should all go bowling. It's basically tour tradition at this point," Meagan insisted.

 

"She's right," Kaetlyn chimed in. "Tess…no excuses tonight, you _have_ to join us."

 

Tessa forced a smile at Kaetlyn and nodded her head. She and Scott had already made plans to get drinks in the Grapes wine bar and then they were going to soak in the bathtub together, but fine she'll pretend to be sociable and wear smelly shoes that have been worn by hundreds of other people and stick her fingers in the bowling ball holes that have who knows what growing inside them. Tessa shuddered slightly. "Yeah, it will be great!" she said with as much forced enthusiasm as she could muster.

 

Scott didn't buy it for one second; he gave her a sympathetic wink from across the table. He had wanted to sit next to her, but Kaitlyn and Kaetlyn had linked arms with Tessa on the way in and made it loudly known they wanted to sit with her since they hadn’t seen her all day. Tessa gave an apologetic look to Scott as she saw the disappointment on his face. It was hard for them to be together when it was assumed that they were not but probably were but didn’t want to officially make it known.

 

*

 

“I'm making the teams, Tessa and Scott will each be captains. If they're on the same team, we know they'll win. This way it gives us all a fair chance," Meagan announced.

 

 _Why the hell is she being extra bossy tonight_ , she thought as she pouted internally. Tessa was annoyed already and the game hadn’t even started. She would always choose to be on Scott's team, being apart meant competing against each other and she really was just too exhausted from last night’s and today's creepy events to care. Her heart just wasn’t in being sociable tonight. Truthfully she was looking forward to moving onto their next destination and hopefully leaving her ghost friends behind.

 

Scott’s team won the first bowling game and he announced loudly that he was ready to head back to the hotel, but the others could stay if they wished. Everyone was up for another game or two; the night was still young.

 

“Kait, I’m going to head back as well. I didn’t sleep well last night and have a bit of a headache,” Tessa told Kaitlyn and quickly excused herself to join Scott near the exit.

 

“Excuse?” Scott asked her as they left the bowling lanes.

 

“Headache, didn’t sleep well last night,” Tessa informed him. They always made sure to get their stories straight. It seemed their friends were prying a little more than usual lately.

 

“Mostly true,” Scott winked as he put his hand on her lower back to guide her through the hallway leading back to the hotel. “I’ll come up and check your room. Make sure everything is okay?”

 

“Thanks, Scott. I appreciate that.”

 

They searched all through her room and Tessa was convinced there was nothing abnormal happening tonight. After Scott left though, Tessa felt someone watching her again and chills ran up and down her spine.

 

“I’m not afraid of you,” Tessa said firmly as she put her hands on her hips and stamped her foot. She looked around the room once and bit down on her bottom lip. “Okay...maybe I am,” she squeaked as she ran out of her room and down hall towards Scott’s again. She knocked loudly on his door, hoping he was still awake.

 

“I had a feeling you'd be back,” Scott smiled as he swung open his door. “I told you, we just should have shared to begin with. We'll be back on the bus tomorrow. Enjoy the extra space now, before we're cramped again in smaller than twin-sized beds.”

 

“Scott, I'm not here just so I can snuggle you,” Tessa insisted.

 

He raised his eyebrow at her, not buying the story she was selling.

 

“Okay, that's just a bonus. I swear there is something or someone in my room,” her voice quivered and tears prickled her eyes. Scott knew she was uneasy and on edge from all the strange things happening to her.

 

“Fine, let's go look,” he said calmly as he put his hands on her shoulders.

 

“Right now?” she asked.

 

“Let me prove you wrong. The only one in your room was you, T.” Scott took Tessa's hand in his and led her back down the hallway.

 

Upon arriving back in her room, Tessa spied her book that had disappeared from the spa. It was sitting on the chair in her room, in plain sight.

 

“Scott! My book!” Tessa exclaimed with a mixed emotion of delight, curiosity and fear.

 

“Well, it's your room...why wouldn't your book be here?”

 

“No. You don't understand,” Tessa said softly as she picked up the book to show Scott.

 

“You're right. I really don't,” he shrugged.

 

“This is the book that went missing at the spa. It vanished yesterday…and now it's here. How exactly did it find it’s way back to my room? It wasn't here when I left a few minutes ago.” She put one hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows at Scott.

 

Scott scratched his head. “Well, shit. I have no idea, T.”

 

“I do. It has to be the ghosts,” she said with conviction. _Really…was there any other explanation?_

 

“You read too many novels.”

 

“Then why do _you_ look so pale?” she asked as she ran her palm gently across Scott’s cheek.

 

“Uh, how about we just go back to my room? You're right; I think your room is occupied.” Scott pulled on Tessa's arm, leading her out of her room and down the hall.

 

As they approached the elevator, Sam the bellman was standing there.

 

"Hi, Sam," Tessa waved as they walked by.

 

Scott stopped and turned to Tessa.

 

"T, who are you talking to?" he looked behind her and behind himself. He saw no one there. Both hallways and the elevator lobby were completely empty.

 

Tessa looked back over towards the elevators and smiled at Sam.

 

"Sam," she said nonchalantly as she pointed towards him.

 

Scott looked towards the elevator doors.

 

"Tess, I think you're over tired and seeing things. There is no one there. Let's get you to bed, okay?"

 

"Scott! Stop playing games. That's Sam; he works here. I'm not seeing things." Tessa shook her head and turned with a huff as she started walking ahead, down the hall towards Scott's room. Scott ran to catch up with her.

 

"Babe, I swear there was no one there," Scott insisted.

 

Tessa put her hand on her hip as she stood in front of Scott’s hotel room door. "Well I _swear_ there was! But I don't want to argue over this. Please just unlocked your door so we can go to bed before someone catches us rooming together."

 

Scott pulled out his room key and tapped it against the lock.

 

_Red light._

 

He tried it again.

 

_Red light._

 

“Well, fuck,” he swore under his breath.

 

He tried it a third time.

 

_Red light._

 

"Pardon me, do you need help opening your room?"

 

Scott jumped; he was now on edge too. So many weird things were happening and he was starting to believe Tessa’s ghost theory…

 

Tessa looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Sam! Yes, thank you. The card doesn't seem to be working.”

 

Scott turned to look at the older gentleman as Tessa yanked the room key from Scott’s frozen hand.

 

She handed the key card to Sam and glared at Scott, willing him to close his gaping mouth. _So embarrassing._

 

Sam took the card and tapped it against the lock.

 

_Green light._

 

"There you go," he said as he opened the door and then handed the card back to Scott.

 

"Have a nice night, kids," Sam said as he tipped his hat. Scott looked at Tessa, who was smirking, and then back at Sam, but Sam was already gone.

 

"Where the hell did he go?" Scott looked up and down the empty hallway.

 

"He does that," Tessa shrugged as she walked into Scott's room.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boo! 
> 
> Haha! Let me know what you thought! :)


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